Which parts of vegetables have the most pesticides

Many bloggers know that in order to prevent diseases and insect pests, most vegetables are sprayed with pesticides. So, is there a difference in the distribution of pesticides on the same vegetable? Which part has the most pesticides? Let's take a look:

The stems and stalks of vegetables contain the most pesticide residues.

For example, the stalks of cabbage near the roots and the concave parts of bell peppers contain more pesticides than other parts, so it is best to throw them away before eating. Why do residual pesticides on vegetables always accumulate in these parts? Researchers from the National Vegetable Engineering Technology Research Center pointed out that this is related to the growth pattern of vegetables and the spraying method. Take Chinese cabbage as an example. First, when spraying pesticides, due to the effect of gravity, the pesticides will flow down the leaves and stalks and gather under the leaves. Therefore, there will be more pesticides on the leaves.

Secondly, because the vegetable stems are close to the ground, the chances of pesticides being reduced or decomposed by wind and sun day and night are relatively small, so the pesticide residues on the vegetable stems are more stubborn. However, this problem does not exist for vegetables that do not have obvious stems, such as wormwood stalks and cauliflower. Even though green peppers are hanging, they still follow this rule. Experts explained that because green pepper plants are relatively short, pesticides are often sprayed from top to bottom, which will accumulate a lot of pesticides at the stems of the green peppers. Therefore, vegetables with uneven stems such as green peppers have this problem, but other vegetables like cowpeas and cucumbers do not have such concerns. Therefore, when we eat vegetables, it is best to cut off the stems close to the ground. For vegetables like green peppers, the stems should be removed before eating.

In order to eat vegetables without pesticide residues, many people like to buy green leafy vegetables and cowpeas with worm holes, thinking that such vegetables must not have been sprayed with pesticides.

Don’t be keen on buying vegetables and fruits with worm holes, as the presence or absence of worm holes is not a criterion for determining whether pesticides have been used. Because after consumers buy vegetables and fruits with worm holes, they basically don’t find worms in the vegetables, and vegetable farmers don’t catch insects manually, so insect infestations are usually eliminated with pesticides after they occur. The adult insects in vegetables and fruits with worm holes are killed by pesticides, while the larvae or eggs in fruits and vegetables without worm holes are killed. It should also be noted that the resistance of adult insects is obviously greater than that of larvae, so the amount of pesticide used may be higher. Moreover, adults will definitely appear later than larvae, so vegetables with insect holes should be sprayed with pesticides closer to harvest, resulting in less decomposition of pesticides and higher residues. To sum up, we should not blindly believe in the traditional view that "the presence of worm holes means there is no pesticide."